Tag
by Metal Chocobo
Summary: Sephiroth was not pleased. Usually that meant the world was subjected to something just short of the Apocalypse. Today it meant he had to babysit. He had to babysit his fifteen year old brother.


Metal Chocobo: This was written as a response to a challenge created by a good friend of mine. It's a little different than what I usually do, but I think people will like it. I also have to say that my awesome friend ShadowAili edited this for me, making it into something worth reading. So in conclusion, have fun reading.

**Tag**

Sephiroth was not pleased. Usually that meant heads rolled, nations burned, and the world was brought to its knees. Today it meant he had to baby-sit. That in and of itself was a disaster, but it wasn't just anyone that Sephiroth had to baby-sit. He had to baby-sit his _fifteen-year-old_ brother.

It had started out as a decent day (Sephiroth never had good days) until he reached the breakfast table. Instead of his mother seated at the head of the table drinking coffee and mulling over the paper, he found two notes, one addressed to him and the other to Riku. That wasn't unusual; Mother often spent her weekends on business trips.

Sephiroth sat down in his own seat across from his mother's chair. He had planned on drinking his coffee, eating a Danish, and finalize his plan to bind Cloud Strife to him for good. Cloud insisted that a life of servitude was not for him, but Sephiroth knew better. After Sephiroth had adequate time to break the blonde's spirit, Cloud would happily yield to his dominance. This week that Cloud had off would be the optimal time to do so, since no one would miss him.

He picked up the note to see what Mother wanted. And promptly spit his coffee out all over the table. He was expected to baby sit—her exact words—"baby-sit" his fifteen-year-old brother for the duration of the break. The only time Riku was not to be under his care was when another legal adult whose authority his brother respected was watching him.

Sephiroth ground his teeth in annoyance. The reason why he was stuck watching Riku was that his brother was an idiot. On his own, Riku was intelligent enough, but when coupled with the Annoyance, his IQ plummeted into the negative digits. Riku couldn't say 'no' to the Annoyance. This was why a cooking experiment nearly caused the Jenova family's home to be engulfed in flames. It also didn't help Sephiroth's predicament that the only adults Riku respected were their mother, Sephiroth himself, and the Annoyance's parents. This meant Sephiroth would have to watch him the entire time. Capturing Cloud would have to wait.

Adding insult to injury, the note also specified that Sephiroth couldn't simply lock Riku in his room for the entire time. In fact, Riku had been promised by Mother five months ago that he and the Annoyance could go play laser tag this weekend.

This was how Sephiroth ended up in an arcade. He didn't want to be there, arcades were full of loud and annoying sounds. Tacky and tasteless games, mixed with almost rancid foods that were then vomited after being eaten by the small goblins that frequented such establishments. Sephiroth did not belong.

He stood in the center of a swarm of small children. They were loud, boisterous, whiney, and sticky. Due to the movement of the mass, the Annoyance bumped into him. Sephiroth refrained from ripping the boy's head off. A woman in pink pulled the Annoyance back and smiled politely at Sephiroth.

"Sora," she admonished, "You know better, apologize."

The Annoyance grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Aeris," he mumbled before turning to Sephiroth. "I'm really sorry for bumping into you, Sephiroth," he apologized, continuing to grin. He showed more gum in his smiled than was natural. Riku wrapped an arm around the Annoyance, as if he could protect him from Sephiroth's wrath.

Sephiroth didn't spare the Annoyance a glance. "Are you in charge of him?" Sephiroth questioned, looking down at her.

She seemed unfazed by Sephiroth's aura of menace. "I'm in charge of Sora, yes," she answered, continuing to smile. "How are you today, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth ignored her question. Both boys seemed to listen to the girl... "How old are you?" he asked, trying to smile. It looked more like he was baring his teeth.

The girl's brows rose. "Seventeen," she answered.

"Damn." She wasn't a legal adult, therefore he couldn't release Riku into her care.

Sephiroth felt something tug at the hem of his trousers. When he looked down, he saw a chocolate smeared little boy. "You said a bad word," the boy accused. One glare sent the boy screaming for his mother. (Decades later, after the boy had grown into a man, he was terribly embarrassed by the fact that the sight of his nice effeminate, tall, and long haired male neighbor sent him into hysterics.)

"That wasn't very nice," the pink girl rebuked.

"Bite me," drawled Sephiroth.

The brunette girl smiled. "Maybe later. For now I think we need to decide on our teams."

"I'm with Sora," Riku said as the Annoyance proclaimed that he was with Riku.

"I work alone," Sephiroth supplied.

"Can't do that, everyone needs a partner; it's in the rules," the Annoyance sang in a condescending tone. He grinned michievously. "So that means you're with Aeris."

"I work alone," Sephiroth repeated. This was not negotiable.

Riku crossed his arms and smirked. "The Great Sephiroth, afraid of working with a girl?" he asked.

Sephiroth snorted loudly. "Boy or girl, it doesn't matter. Both are equally incompetent. I don't take partners."

Riku was silent for a moment. The he grinned widely. "Tell you what," he began, "If you take the cannon fodder, keep both of you from being hit once, and deal the death blows to Sora and myself… I will stay with Sora and leave you to commit your nefarious deeds upon Cloud Strife. Deal?"

A chance to get rid of Riku, hunt Cloud, and not break mother's instructions… all for winning a silly contest? Sephiroth consider that t be a deal worth taking. "Well, if you insist," Sephiroth conceded, inwardly smirking. The brothers shook hands to seal the deal.

"Riku?" Sephiroth heard the Annoyance ask as they suited up, "What did you give Sephiroth permission to do to my uncle? Riku?"

"Don't worry about it, Sora. Cloud will survive," Riku promised before quietly adding, "I hope." They all entered the playing field.

This was Sephiroth's element. With a laser gun in hand, he was on the hunt ready to destroy the opposition. He could easily track down the Annoyance and Riku, sniping out the competition until they were the only ones left. Then he would kill Riku first so that he wouldn't sacrifice the Annoyance and lose their Cloud time. The only problem was keeping this girl safe.

"What are you planning on doing to my uncle?" she asked as Sephiroth pulled her into safety.

"I plan on binding him to my bed and using him until he cries out whenever he isn't receiving my caresses," Sephiroth answered. He shot at four boys, killing one.

"He wouldn't like that," she said scratching her head with her gun.

Sephiroth snatched away the gun. He didn't want the silly girl shooting herself and thereby voiding the bet. "It doesn't matter what he likes," the man snapped. He killed another child before returning the laser gun. "This is a weapon, not a toy."

The girl smirked back, "You mean this is a toy, not a weapon, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth grunted and continued his hunt. He shot several more children as he searched for Riku and the Annoyance. The girl trailed behind him like a ghost.

"You know, if you don't respect him, Cloud will never care about you. He'll leave the first chance he gets," she commented thoughtfully.

"Cloud wouldn't leave," Sephiroth said with certainty, "he'd be too scared of what I would do to him when I caught him again."

"Do you love him?" she asked. When he didn't respond right away, she pressed further. "Sephiroth?"

"Yes." Sephiroth nodded.

"Why?"

That question stopped him. He stood quietly for a minute before slowly turning back to the girl. He looked at her, _really_ looked at her. Hands on her hips, she evenly met his gaze. Sure, she wore pink and seemed to be in a continuous dream… but for the first time, Sephiroth, realized he had underestimated someone. The girl was more predator than prey.

"I don't know," he replied at last. "I can't explain why. I don't care about him, but… Cloud… he makes me feel complete."

It was only then that Sephiroth realized that she had the gun pointed at him. As she squeezed the trigger, Sephiroth dived down for cover. It was too late. She had gotten one off, then another. He would be stuck with Riku for a week and lose Cloud, all because Sephiroth had underestimated a girl.

"You can get up now, Sephiroth," the girl said offering him her hand. "We won."

Sephiroth looked around the girl to see Riku and the Annoyance sitting on the ground in shock. She had shot them.

Sephiroth accepted her offered hand. She pulled him to his feet in one smooth motion. "Talk to him, Sephiroth," she ordered. "Cloud hates to admit it, but he's always open to a philosophical debate."

Sephiroth's jaw dropped slightly. She was just like his mother. If Sephiroth hadn't settled on Cloud, she would have made a suitable mate. "Who are you?" he croaked, surprised at the waver in his voice.

"Aeris," Aeris answered, smiling. "Now shoo, go find Cloud. Don't worry, I'll take care of the boys."

Sephiroth numbly stripped off his armor and handed it to Aeris.

"Be careful with him," Aeris added. "I want my uncle in one piece when school starts again."

When he realized what she was giving him permission to do, a smirk slowly spread across his face. He nodded. With a small wave to Riku, Aeris, and the Annoyance, Sephiroth left to find Cloud, to woo Cloud, and to make Cloud his.

* * *

So that was the end of Tag. Any thoughts or comments you have on it would be wonderful to get. I try to respond to all reviews since I really do love getting them. So please, hit the little button and give me your thoughts. 


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